One really has to wonder what is going on along the West Coast, at least geologically.
First, there has been a notable swarm of earthquakes around Washington’s iconic Mount Rainier volcano. Now a swarm is shaking the Salton Sea area of Southern California.
A 4.3-magnitude earthquake struck near the Salton Sea early Friday morning, jolting residents and triggering a series of smaller quakes in the seismically active region. The temblor, centered approximately 7.5 miles west-northwest of Calipatria, occurred at 2:55 a.m. PDT at a depth of 6.5 miles, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). No immediate reports of injuries or significant damage have surfaced, but the event has renewed focus on the area’s earthquake-prone geology.The quake was felt as far away as Carlsbad and Whittier, with over 30 residents reporting light shaking to the USGS.“I couldn’t tell if I was dreaming or rolling in the quake,” one Calipatria resident shared on social media.The main shock was preceded and followed by dozens of smaller quakes, ranging from magnitudes 1.0 to 3.7, marking the event as part of an earthquake swarm—a common occurrence in the Brawley Seismic Zone near the Salton Sea.
Some are tempted to link these swarms to the famous San Andreas fault, which has been responsible for some of California’s deadliest and destructive seismic events.
The earthquakes around the Salton Sea are also just a few dozen miles from several active fault lines running through California, including the infamous San Andreas fault….The magnitude 4.3 earthquake Friday morning struck less than 40 miles from the San Andreas fault, an 800-mile fault line running from Southern California, through the Bay Area, and all the way to the northern part of the state.The latest quakes were also approximately 50 miles away from the Elsinore fault line, which extends from the US-Mexico border through San Diego County and is about 110 to 150 miles long.Both of these fault lines are feared to be nearing the time or overdue for a massive earthquake, potentially greater than 8.0 in magnitude.
However, while interesting, these swarms are likely related to the fact that the Salton Sea lies in the northernmost part of the Gulf of California Rift Zone, where the Pacific Plate and the North American Plate are moving apart.
This plate movement is causing the Earth’s crust to thin and split, similar to what is occurring in Africa’s Great Rift Valley. The swarms are likely related to the continued subsidence, or sinking, of the region.
An intriguing aspect to the geology is the fact that Salton Buttes Volcanic Field is located at the southeast section of the Salton Sea. The volcanic field consists of five lava domes that are situated directly on the shore and even within the waters of the sea itself, and there has been one eruption that occurred relatively recently in geologic history.
It is also an important source of geothermal energy for the region.
The Salton Buttes Volcanic Field is considered by the USGS as one of the potential volcanically active regions in California. The Salton Buttes consist of a collection of five late Pleistocene-age rhyolitic volcanic necks that are located within the greater Salton Buttes Geothermal Field.The area experiences and abundance of earthquakes and has a high geothermal heat flow. The area displays evidence of geologically recent volcanism⎯the last eruptions occurred about 1,300 years ago. There is active shallow geothermal heat flow, enough to have boiling springs, mud pots, and mud volcanoes in the eastern shoreline region. The high heat flow from the area, the earthquake activity, and relatively young age of Salton Buttes suggests the potential for future eruptions.According to the California State Land Commission, in 2024 the Salton Sea Geothermal Field are 10 power plants located on private lands in this area, with 437 megawatts of installed capacity. There are about 28 production wells in the field producing over 265 billion pounds of brine annually, and 41 injection wells reinjecting just over 220 billion pounds of produced brine. Efforts are underway to develop lithium and other metals from the geothermal brine.”
National Volcano Early Warning System rates the threat potential high, both due to the fact there is continuing geologic activity but also because of the large population centers.
So if you needed more reasons to stay out of California, I may have found them for you.
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